Competition
by LittleMissDestler
Summary: Set in an American high school, 17 year old Christine Daaè becomes fast friends with the unpopular new kid, despite what her hot shot soccer team captain boyfriend, Raoul De Changy may wish. Will Christine listen to society and give into peer pressure or follow her heart? Find out in this exciting teenage romance!
1. Chapter 1

Christine walked down the hallway past a group of gossiping cheerleaders, although I don't think we should label all cheerleaders as bad, as Christine was one to.

At the head of the group was Carlotta, she was feeding the snide comments coming from each tongue. "Did you hear about the new kid?" "Who? The exchange student?" "Yeah" "He's from Persia" "Where's that?" "Europe, dumbass."

Christine laughed at this and planned on continued walking, but decided to linger and try and figure out who they were talking about.

"He's one of those theatre dorks. That's what I heard." "You know what I heard?" "What?" "He's really ugly!" "How ugly?" "He wears a mask!" "Eww! That's gross!"

Christine couldn't bear it any longer and decided to continue walking. Who was this poor kid and what did he do to deserve all this? Christine didn't know the boy, but she felt something for him, nonetheless.

Her thoughts continued to race like this in such a fashion till this chain was broken by a pair of strong arms, wrapping around her waist, pulling her in to place soft kisses on her neck.

"Raoul! Stop it!" She giggled "We're in the hallway!" Raoul was Christine's boyfriend and he loved her. It seemed weird being 17 and in love, but that was the only way to describe his feelings for Christine.

"I'm sorry Christine, I just can't he-" he was cut off as everyone in the hallway went silent. Their heads all turned in the direction of the new kid who Christine had just heard the cheerleaders talking about.

He was tall and lean. A mass of dark messy hair covered his eyes, his mouth set in in grim line. The rest of his face was covered by a shining white porcelain mask.

He walked straight to a locker, opened it and threw some books in and slammed it shut before running off.

Christine and managed to slip away from Raoul during this for when the boy left and the noise level began to rise as teenagers started gossiping and giggling one more he had only just realised her absence.

"There she goes again" he sighed to himself and stalked off to soccer practice.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Christine hid in the shadows of the wings on the auditoriums stage. In the middle stood a grand piano and a boy in a mask sat at it.

For several moments he just sat there, looking at the keys, his fingers hovering above them but he made no music.

Then as if by magic, he pressed numerous keys at the same time, again and again in a steady tempo. It was as if the heavens had open and a choir of angels had begun sing all at once.

Without knowing what she was doing, Christine walked towards the source of the miraculous music, which came to a sudden halt as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

Suddenly very timid, the adolescent boy looked away in shame. He had become so absorbed in the music that he had let it get the better of him and he had left this world which had shown him no mercy and gone to one where he was at peace and was one with music.

His cold green eyes found her big innocent blue ones. He recognised this girl. She was the only one in the hallway who didn't stop to stare at him. She had moved and had been walking down a corridor. He didn't know how she had found him, because he had been certain he was alone, but he was glad that she had.

The first time he had seen her in the hallway, he had instantly been captivated by her beauty and she with his mysterious movements. She stared down into his eyes, the windows to the soul and wondered what they had seen to make them so unfeeling.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"You played beautifully" Christine spoke very quietly, wishing to break the silence, but easily. Her hand was still on his shoulder and he was surprised she hadn't flinched away. Nobody had ever touched him without harm intended before.

"Thank you." Erik said, his voice too hard for Christine's liking. "I could show you how to play if you wish."

Christine thoughts about it for a moment. "I don't play" she said after a while. "My voice is my instrument" she replied with. This made Erik beam.

"Could you sing for me?" He asked.

"I guess. What do you have"  
Erik handed her a book of sheet music. Christine flicked through it and after several long moments said "I like this song."

Erik smiled. He liked that song also. He began to play softly and Christine sang to the best of her ability. She didn't know what, but there was something about him which intimidated her and she wanted everything to be perfect for him.

Once she had finished, Erik spoke. "Your voice is very good..." Christine smiled. "... But clearly untrained" she was a little taken aback by his honesty. "I can help you though. I can help train and develop your voice and I will. Everyday after cheerleading you can find me here at 5pm."

"How did you know I am a cheerleader" he laughed and indicated to her cheer-squad uniform.

"Like that isn't enough of a clue" she laughed at that. She didn't know what it was, but something was different about Erik. He possessed traits she had never seen in teenage boys. He interested her and she was willing to spend a lot of time figuring him out.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Christine ran from cheer squad rehearsals. Coach had held her and two others back to make sure they could hold Carlotta up whilst she sang a ballad.

It was now 17:07 and she was scared the boy had left because she had not been there on time.

She didn't even know his name but she felt the need to please him. When she got to the auditorium, the piano was not there and neither was he.

Christine began doubting herself. What if she was dreaming and there was no boy? What if it was all a lie?

She turned and headed for the door when somebody called "Christine!" And she turned to face them.


	2. Chapter 2

Raoul was standing there. He had followed Christine there after she had ran past him so quickly in the hallway that she hadn't even noticed him. He knew something had to be up and here she stood looking around for something that wasn't there.

"Raoul?" She question his presence as if he weren't actually there and she was just imagining him, but here he stood, as tall as ever.

"Christine. What is the matter with you?" She didn't reply to him but ran from the room.

She ran and ran. Upstairs and Downstairs, but everywhere she went there were people, and she didn't know why exactly, but she felt like she needed to be alone. There was nothing to inflict this desire for solitude, but she sought it and she did not stop running till it was found.

She looked at her surroundings. She had never been in this part of the school. It was old and unused in years. Teacher would use it for storage but hardly ever.

Everything was coated in dust an cobwebs hung from the ceiling. At the end of the corridor was an open door and a warm yellow light was glowing from inside. She took a step towards the light, when suddenly, a hand placed itself roughly on the her shoulder.

Christine jumped and turned to see the boy from the auditorium the other day.

"I knew you would find me"

"Where are we?"

Erik was silent for a moment, trying to think if the right answer. He eventually replied with "my domain." He then took her hand and led her towards the room with light.

The room had to have been illuminated with hundreds of candles. The piano from the auditorium was there and sheet music was strewn across the floor.

He led her to the piano and began to play. Christine's soul was once again captivated by the music. It infiltrated her being, leaving her in a trance.

She opened her mouth and her voice and the music filled the room. The pianist body wracked with ecstasy as she sung. She had put a spell on him and had him at her beck and call.

"Christine!" He moaned in pleasure. "Sing!" He commanded, and she obeyed, she sand louder, higher and with more passion. "Sing!" He repeated, this time with force.  
Again, she obeyed to this new strange tutor of hers. He continued to push her in such a way till she reached the top of her range and her body shook with passion and devotion.

Her breathing was heavy uneven. Somehow, two strangers had made a connection through the power of music. A bond was formed between the couple that was so strong. The passion the share for music was incomprehensible and could only be expressed in such a fashion.

"Thank you" Christine said after a while.

He looked at her in surprise. "No," he said. "Thank you. You have been the first I have come across to share such an experience with me. I don't know how you did it, but you manage to sneak past all the boundaries I have between my self and the rest of the world in such short time. There's something about you Christine, I just can't explain it..."

They were silent for a few moments after, until Christine began to laugh. He looked at her in surprise. "Are you laughing at me?" Flustered, he got up to leave, but she stopped him.

"No, please don't go, it's just... I only just met you, and yet there is so much trust.. Bit I don't even know your name.." She blushed at the honesty of her statement.

He smiled, something he could not help but do around her. "It's Erik."


	3. Chapter 3

Christine sat in class, trying to understand the math functions her teacher was writing up on the white board. A note was set on top of her book and she looked around to see who put it there, but saw no signs from any of the people around her that it was they who put it there.

Slowly, she opened the note, careful not to make the teacher suspicious.

The paper was smooth and an off-white color with black leaf. The writing was in red ink and very untidy. 'Meet me in the auditorium after third period. -Erik'

She folded the paper and slipped it into her bag. It was third period now and there wee only 4 minutes left in class which seemed like agony.

Her teacher droned on about applying functions to graphs and how to find the co-ordinates but Christine wasn't listening, her mind was elsewhere, thinking about Erik and why he wanted her.

When the bell rang, Christine ran from the class but was stopped in the hallway.

"Christine! Where are you going?"

"Raoul? Oh.. Nowhere.. Just to my first class..."

"No you're not." How did he know where she was going? "Come on" he said. "Let's blow off class!" And with that, he took her hand and brought her to his car, where they say in the back seat.

"Raoul, really, I can't be here!"

"Oh come on Christine! Live a little!" He was pressing kisses all down her neck and attempting to lift her dress off, over her head"

"Raoul, ple-" here words were muffled as he kissed her on the mouth, his tongue intruding, filling her mouth and getting a good taste of his girlfriend.

She had been acting strange lately and he was hoping to win her back like this. She had given her body to him several times before but the feeling had been mutual. They were secluded and it had been an act of passion, unlike this. Raoul was pushing this on her and she wasn't comfortable doing this in a car parked at the back of the school! It was scandalous!

"No!" She pushed him off with force she did not know she possessed. She gathered her things, making herself look descent and fled from the car, leaving Raoul aghast.

She ran to her next class, telling her teacher she had been in the toilet, completely forgetting about Erik.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Erik sat in the auditorium waiting for Christine. It was now 15 minutes into third period and Christine had yet to come.

'Perhaps she didn't read the note.' He said to himself, but that seemed impossible, he had managed to place it right under her nose!

'Perhaps the teacher took the note from her before she got to read it! This one seemed more logical, but if a teacher had found out that a student was planning on blowing off class, she surly would have sent someone to come get him.

He let out a sigh of agitation. 'Maybe Christine just doesn't skip class.' He had managed to break into her file and she had yet to miss a day of school, the only thing she ever got in trouble for was daydreaming, but that is not the same as skipping school.

Erik reassured himself with this thought, but he was constantly reminding himself that she just didn't care about him enough. These thoughts were very unsettling and weren't very good for his peace of mind.

He stormed from the auditorium and went strait to his abandoned classroom where he kicked things over and threw things across the room.

Erik then heard a car door slam shut from outside. He looked out the window to see Christine, fixing her dress and hair before running off. Moments later, a boy came out of the car.

Erik knew this boy, be had his arms around Christine the first time he laid eyes on her.

Erik could only image how this boy could have violated Christine's body in that car. His mind flooded with images of her, moaning out in ecstasy beneath Raoul.

Blinded by fury, Erik fled from the room, unaware of what he wanted to do next.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey! Christine!" Meg, Christine's best friend, was running towards her, waving a piece of paper. "This fell out of your bag when you were getting you're books out.."

Christine snatched Erik's note from the blonde beauty and shoved it in her pocket, going pale at the thought of leaving Erik stood up like that.

"You didn't read it, did you?" Christine asked, afraid of what the other might say.

"Of course not!" Christine sighed in relief. "so who's Erik?" So Meg had read the note.

"You said you didn't read it!" Christine growled in agitation.

"Are you cheating on Raoul?" Meg asked, ignoring the statement because she was simply curious.

Christine pulled her to the side so they were out of earshot of passer-by's and whispered "Erik is just my singing tutor, but you can't tell anybody! Okay? _Especially not Raoul._ He won't understand and will only get jealous."

The girl simply nodded her head and Christine ran to the auditorium, her dark brown curls bouncing as she went.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When she reached the auditorium, Erik was not there and the school choir was rehearsing there. She fled from the scene to go to 'Erik's Classroom', but when she got there, it wasn't the most pleasant sight.

Erik was crouched in the corner, his knees pulled up to his chest and he was crying.

Christine's heart sank at the sight of him. He didn't deserve this isolation he had to face. She moved closer to him but he told her to go away and leave him alone. That he didn't deserve to have her tease him like she had.

Christine began apologising but was distracted by shouting from out side. Raoul was yelling at everyone he could.

His car windscreen was smashed, a bucket of white paint had been thrown over the car and dents and scratched covers the body.

The principal was on sight also. Apparently, the tape containing the footage had melted in the security camera and they no longer had evidence as to who had done the act.

Christine then turned to Erik, and only then notices the white paint on his hands. "Oh Erik.." She sighed, sitting beside him, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close. "What would make you do such a thing?"

He looked up at her, his eyes read behind the white porcelain of his mask. "Do you love him?" Erik asked her.

The simple question had her quite taken aback. He was lost for words on how to reply. Did she love Raoul? It was a topic she had never really spent much time dwelling on. She certainly felt something for him, but was it love? She didn't think so. It wasn't the kind of love you read about in books or see in movies or hear in songs.

"Do you love him?" He repeated.

"No." She whispered. It's not that she didn't want to love him, but this just wasn't love. And with that, Erik leaned in and kissed her, ever so softly. The cold porcelain violin the flush in her cheeks.

When they broke the kiss their faces still remained close together, their breath mingling as they stared into each others eyes for several long moments, trying to distinguish what the other was feeling.

Erik smiled and pushed curl which had fallen into her eyes back. He then leaned in and kissed her again, this time, entwining his fingers in her hair and pulling her in close as she smoothed her small hands over his back.

He moaned against he mouth as his arousal grew into a throbbing state.

Christine was the one to pull away. "I'm sorry" she said standing, and although she was very confused right now, she knew one thin was for certain. Raoul was her boyfriend and Erik was not. And with that she ran from the room.

Erik curled back up into a ball in the corner of the room and began to softly sob once more.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Christine ran through the hallways, fighting back tears, till Meg stopped her.

"Christine! Come quickly!" It was taking everything it was in her not to cry about Erik and Raoul, but she couldn't help but smile when Meg pointed out the poster, pinned to the noticeboard.

It was a sign up sheet that read:

**HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A RECORDING CONTRACT?**  
Sign up here to be in with the chance of winning one!

Carlotta_ _

_ _

_ _

Christine sighed when she saw the only signature. Everyone knew better than to sign up for something that Carlotta had her name down for because she always wins, and when she didn't, there was hell to pay.

But that wasn't going to stop her. This was her dream, and I she could get Erik's help, she would undoubtedly win, and with that, she took a pen and the list became:  
Carlotta_ Christine_

_ _

_ _

"Christine! What are you doing?" Meg was in an utter state of shock, knowing what Carlotta was capable of. But once Christine signed her name, she started a trend as many others then came to write their names also, and smiling at Christine and congratulating her, much to her surprise.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Carlotta was simply fuming at the thought of loosing her status to Christine. Determination to defeat and humiliate Christine in front on the whole school and the judging panel grew from within her stomach and spread to every last inch of her.

Christine was going to pay for what she had started and testing Carlotta's authority didn't come cheap.


	5. Chapter 5

"Erik!" Christine ran into his arms so unexpectedly, that Erik stumbled backwards. "

Christine had been so excited to tell Erik about the competition that she had let it get the better of herself. As she pulled away, she flushed crimson, for embracing him, as did he, but at least he could hide behind his mask. Christine just looked at her feet at let her curls fall messily over her face.

"What was that for?" Erik asked, embarrassed, but wishing the embrace had lasted longer.

"Oh! Well, there is this thing..." Christine went on to explain the entirety of what she knew about the competition. Then Erik, suddenly very Excited, picked her up and spun her around, causing her to giggle with delight.

"I have the perfect song for you!" He said, pulling out of one of the many piles of sheet music in his classroom, a score of complicated times and melodies, with quite a high cadenza at the end.

She looked at him a little uneasy. "Are you sure I can handle this?" She said, a little uncertain of her capability. After all, Carlotta was competing and she needed to be able to master whatever she did if she wanted that recording contract.

"I should hope so. I wrote it for you." Christine looked up at Erik who was now, very obviously blushing.

"You did?" She asked, honoured that he even thought of her when he was composing. Erik nodded and sat at his piano and began to play the song from memory.

Christine's angelic voice filled the room, causing Erik's body to wrack at the piece of heaven that came from her singing. He joined in at the chorus. Christine was overcome with emotion at his voice.

She had been unaware that he sang, let alone sounded like a god! She listened to him as he sand the very deep lyrics.

When she had first read them the seemed like very beautiful lyrics, but Erik's voice made them tell a whole other story. A story of love and conflict. How sometimes you find love, but evil rips it from your grasp. She studied Erik and thought of Raoul's car. She then thought of when Erik had said he had written this song for her. What did he mean by that? What was he trying to tell her?

She resumed singing till she got to the cadenza. Her voice cracked at the second last note and she gave and exasperated sigh.

"I'm not able to do it!" She said, throwing her hands in the air.

Erik got up from his seat and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. "Don't say that Christine! I know you can do! I wouldn't make you if I thought you couldn't!" He sat back down at the piano and played the cadenza again for her and this time, she hit every last note!

"See! I told you. I knew you could do it Christine!" Christine hugged him again, knocking him from his seat at the piano so he fell to the floor, Christine lying on his chest.

"Thank you so much!" She said squeezing him tight. Erik didn't know what to do in such a situation that he just petted her hair and told her it was his pleasure.

Christine then looked up at him, so their eyes met. Their lips were mere centimetres away from each other. Erik could feel her hot breath on his face and the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed against his chest.

Slowly, Erik leaned in and kissed her. His lips were soft o hers and his tongue lingered in her mouth so gently she hardly knew it was there. Erik's kiss was so gentle and passionate it had been like nothing Christine had ever experienced with Raoul...

Suddenly, she remembered her boyfriend and pulled away.

"We can't keep doing this, Erik" Christine said, getting up. "I think I should leave now." And with that, she left, leaving Erik to think of Christine, who he was certain, would become his girlfriend in time. There was only one thing that was in his way.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Christine ran through the hallway, trying to push thoughts of Erik away, but she simply couldn't. He was everywhere she looked. Images of him flashing in her eyes, telling her to go back to him.

She frantically turned and looked but he was there, so she turned again and again but there was no release. The volume of people talking increased and she began to feel herself dizzy.

"I'm going mad!" She shouted, making everybody in the hallway go silent to turn and stare at her.

She was suddenly aware of Raoul in her presence. He wrapped his arms around her an told everyone else in the hallway to leave her alone. He then brought her to an empty classroom and say her down on a desk, taking her small hands in his as she began to cry.

He leaned in and kissed her, softer than he ever had before, but still not as gentle and passionate as Erik and so she began to cry more.

"Shh" Raoul whispered, trying to calm her, stroking cheek, her warm tears cascading down and settling in his fingers. He kissed he forehead as she cried into his shoulder, clutching the fabric of his soccer Jersey.

They stayed like this till Christine had settled and then they went to class, unknowing that Erik had been in the room with them, watching and silently crying the whole time.


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay Meg! I'll see you tonight!" The last class on Friday had just finished and all the cheerleaders had arranged a Party at Meg's house to celebrate her birthday. The whole school was going to be there!

After saying their goodbyes, Christine went to her locker to get the books she would need for homework. As her locker door swung open, a note toppled out and landed at her feet.

She hurriedly picked it up and glanced around to ensure modify was looking, before opening it to see what it contained. It's said nothing but "."

'A period?' Christine thought to herself. What was this? Why had somebody placed a note with only a period in her locker?

She recognised the paper. It was the same black leafed paper Erik had used to message her before and so she was certain it had been he who had sent this note as well, but why did he just send a period? Erik was smart and Christine knew that there was more to this than what met the eye, and with that, she took out her phone and googled "period" just out of curiosity of what would come up.

Nearly every result referred to "period" as being the end of a sentence. Suddenly, very worried, Christine ran in the direction of Erik's room.

The smell of blood filled her nostrils, making her gag. Erik was running a blade along his wrists, causing blood to spill out and stain all it touched.

"Oh Erik" she gasped, running to his side. His body was numb and unfeeling, but he acknowledged her presence. She had brought a certain glow about the room as she entered, even in such a state. It was something she had yet failed to do, for every time Erik saw her, she couldn't help but feel a warm unconditional feeling well up inside him; something he had never felt before or for anyone else. And so, even with his blood spilling out so it covered her pale hands and stained her clothes, he still felt this warm and rich desire for her.

He looked up into her eyes with were filled with tears of worry, fret and love. She felt something for Erik, and although she refused to admit it, what she felt was love.

It was a rich and warm feeling like nothing she had felt before that only seemed to fill her at the sight of him, even in a pool of his own blood, but at least it had stopped bleeding.

"Oh Erik.." She sighed, hoisting him to his feet and helping him to a nearby chair. As he sat, he pulled Christine so she was sitting on his lap. "You're delirious, Erik." She said, trying to pull out of his grip, which was still very strong, despite the fact he had recently lost so much blood.

Kissing his forehead, she got up to and said "Don't strain yourself or you'll open your wounds." He managed a smile as in saying this, she was more concerned for his health than Raoul.

He watched her from his seat as she mopped up his blood with some old janitor supply's she had managed to find.

She pushed her hair from her face with the back of her hand as the water in the bucked became tainted with the thick red mess that the sponge had soaked up.

She spent hours nursing him, cleaning his wounds, covering them with bandages from the nurses office. He would moan when she touched him, but he wasn't in pain, but ecstasy.

She knew he could manage perfectly well without her for he was extremely strong, but she couldn't leave him. He attracted her like a magnet. Two opposites that were meant to be together. The beauty and the beast. The beast, who wasn't a real beast, but an ugly duckling who had yet to grow into a beautiful swan.

She had been changing his bandages when her phone rang from within her rucksack. Both glanced at the floral printed bag which lay on the floor.

Hesitantly, she left Erik to go to her bag. "Don't." He pleaded, afraid she would be taken from him. "Please."

She glanced at her still ringing phone, the vibrations pulsing through her fingers as it rang.

"It's only Meg." She said, answering the phone, ignoring Erik's protests in fear of abandonment.

"Where the hell are you?" The high pitched voice called down the phone. "We have been waiting for you for an hour now!" In the event of Erik's injury, Christine had completely forgotten about her best friends birthday.

"Oh Meg! I am so sorry! I'll be there in half an hour! Promise." And the she hung up the phone. Throwing a glance at Erik, she saw the disappointment in his eyes. She knew she couldn't leave him, but neither could she take him to the party. She was truly faced with a dilemma.

Erik had known she couldn't stay with him forever, but wished that she could have stayed longer.

"Erik, I really need to go. I need to get ready and everything!" Erik sighed and looked out the window in thought. As Christine turned to leave, Erik stopped her.

"I'm not letting you leave."

"What?" He must have been mad. He repeated himself, confirming his insanity. "You can't make me stay here." She stated, but she knew that even in his condition, he was strong and would fight to keep her with him, at all costs.

"Fine. You can leave. On one condition." Christine folded her arms and raised an elegantly arched brow in suspicion. "You must become my girlfriend." He was so calm an collected in his statement that it was so surreal to Christine.

"You really are mad!" She said. Throwing her hands in the air. "I cannot be your girlfriend!"

"And why not?"

"Because I have a boyfriend!" The simplicity of the statement was so complex in itself that it made no sense to Erik. He couldn't see how she could have such interest in such an insolent boy!

"That is why you are going to leave Raoul. You are going to tell him tonight that you no longer wish for him to be your partner." She was flabbergasted. How was Erik speaking like this? Had he no understanding of what Raoul meant to her?

She was deep in a pool of thought and consideration that she didn't see Erik approach her, which was why she was so taken aback as he pressed her against the wall, his lips crashing down on hers as his entire body pressed against her.

She could feel his arousal against her inner thigh and and it caused heat to surge through her body. She moaned against his mouth as his tongue preyed open her lips to gain entry to the warm and moist cavity of her mouth.

A low grown came from his throat as she arched her body toward him, her rounded breasts pressing against his chest.

"Okay!" She moaned. "I'll do it.." He pulled away so he could look deeply into the blue depts of her wide eyes.

"You'll do what?" He questioned, a smirk traced on his lips.

"I'll tell Raoul."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** _A big thank you to my BETA, _

**_zoesy27_**

_who has been an amazing help in the _

_production of this phic!_

_I also want to make the point that I am _

_currently looking for another BETA for my new phic, _

_which will hopefully reach you by the end of this month._

_Thank You!_

**_-LittleMissDestler_**

A royal blue dress, clung to her hips and breasts perfectly, her dark hair, tumbling down her back in loose curls. Her perfectly arched eyebrows above her thick lashes, framing her eyes, the same color of her dress. Her full red lips contracted with the pale of her porcelain like skin. Looking as perfect as she did, this break up would not be easy on Raoul.

The party was loud and the room stank of beer, sweat and cheap perfume. Pushing past the crowds of people, Christine found herself lost amongst the teenagers from her school who she had seen a million times, but could honestly say she did not know.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp tug on her arm, turning her face to face with her best friend.

Meg's short red dress left little to the imagination. Her blonde curls pulled to the side to tumble down and frame the right side of her face. Her dark eye make up made her bright green eyes really stand out. She was holding to red solo cups, but handed one over to Christine, not that she drank it's contents.

With a hug, Christine handed Meg a nearly wrapped box, it's silver paper shone under the light as Meg fiddled with the purple ribbon to try and get a look at what the box held.

A gold chain tumbled out into the palm of her hand, a small gold heart in the centre. Tying it around her neck, Meg told Christine just how much she loved it, before dragging her life long friend off to a big group of people to "socialise".

It just so happened Raoul was amongst this group, causing knots to form in the pit of Christine's stomach. He looked so happy to see her, little did he know what was in store.

Smiling, he took her hand and led her to go dance, not liking her reaction. He would lean into her, only to have her turn away. She hadn't welcomed his warm embrace as usual. She was not being the smiling warm loveable Christine that he knew her as.

"Raoul.. I- I need to talk to you..." Her voice unsure and shaky. She didn't know what she was doing nor if it was the right thing or not, but Erik just had this sway on her; something she just couldn't quite place her finger on.

"Sure, sure" he replied, bringing her to a secluded corner where she could express her feelings. "Christine, I don't know what-"

"Please." She cut him off. "Just let me talk." He nodded as a thick silence grew between the pair whilst she tried her best to gather her words, such words she was uncertain about.

Although loud music, shouting and dancing were all taking place not ten feet away, it was in an alternate universe to the pair as the tent ion blocked out all outside activities.

"Raoul... I think we need to break up..." He was not entirely taken aback by her statement as she had been quite distant to him lately, but he still was shocked. He loved Christine wit all his heart and saw her distance as a phase she would overcome. He had a sickening feeling that Christine simply missed the novelty of having a "hot shot" boyfriend and felt that this could be fixed easily.

Christine May had just stopped him the pride of having the most beautiful girl in the school on his arm, but he wasn't going to let her take his pride. "I see." He said, holding his head high.

Brushing past her, he was consumed by the crowd. Christine felt tears pool in her eyes and trickle down her cheeks in two streams as she stared down at her feet.

"Why is Erik making me do this?" She asked herself, although she needed not an answer for she knew perfectly well why, as she too had shared in those heated moments and she had felt what he had felt, and such a feeling overcame the loss of Raoul, but that was not to say she didn't love Raoul. For she did, or so she thought.

Meg was rushing towards her, frantic to get the girls attention. "Christine!" She called, shaking her friends small frame by her shoulders.

"Christine! What happened?!" Was Meg talking about Raoul? How did she know? Did he tell her? Christine was simply at a loss for words, still letting the whole situation sink in.

She was still in a daze as her friend dragged her through the crowd. Clearly there was urgency in Meg task for the small girl powered through large crowd like a bulldozer, pushing everyone to the side. She didn't halt till Raoul was in sight, and what a sight it was.

His face latched to that of Carlotta's, her wild red hair spread around her as he lay atop her on the couch.

Her hands ran up and down his back as he kissed her neck and grasped at her breasts.

A small gasp escaping Christine's mouth, just before she fled from the room, tears pooling in her eyes, a few already escaping to trail down her face.

She ran from Meg's house and she ran down the street. She ran till her legs fell from under her. She collapsed in a pile of sobs on the pavement, her body shaking from the sobs which wracked her fragile frame.

In mere moments, a warm coat was draped over her shoulders. She looked up, her weary eyes searching in the darkness, only able to distinguish the white of a porcelain mask, glowing in the light of the moon.

"Erik." Her voice suddenly non shaking and filled with the confidence which she so badly needed and found in his comforting presence.

Smiling, he extended his arm to her. Wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand, she took it graciously ad he pulled her to her feet, and more. He lifted her so she was being carried bridal style, he face buried in her neck.


End file.
